The Wayne Byerly Band is made up of three members: Wayne, Bob, and Nick. The group is an unlikely mix of personalities, all hailing from vastly different backgrounds to form their special trio. Their strength is in their bond, their dedication to perfecting Wayne’s original sound, and their respect for each other’s work/life balance. They welcomed me to their practice space at Bob’s home studio to share their stories while also allowing me to share a bit of mine.

Wayne Byerly- The Vocals and Guitar

Wayne picked up a guitar for the very first time while serving a sentence in prison. He always dreamed of becoming a musician as an adolescent but never got the chance to pursue it. After a long stint of high-profile bank robberies, he found himself serving time and utilizing music as a way to pass the time. His cellmate was an experienced picker that taught him a few chords to start out with. Wayne was hooked on guitar from then on. During his last 3 years of sentencing, he practiced several hours every day. As he progressed, he began singing over chords and putting words to the melodies he was creating. He joined a band in prison named Mixed Nuts. They would play shows for the prisoners on holidays and special occasions, allowing him to get a feel for live audiences. He served his time, got out, committed more crimes, and served another sentence before marrying and having children. He didn’t touch the guitar for about 15 years as life and other priorities took precedence. He rebuilt a life with his family outside prison walls and became a fulfilled husband and father. After his mother passed, the family was cleaning out her home when he came across a lost tape recording of a Mixed Nuts performance. Hearing it reignited his passion. He started putting a studio together and playing again. After a couple of years, he built up the courage to attend local open mics. He met his bassist, Bob, during one of these performances, and they formed the duo that eventually became the trio. Wayne continues to write songs and practice his vocal lessons every day while he’s driving on his day job. Music gave him a voice, a second chance at life, and a way to cope with years of a high-stress life of crime. He has plenty to sing about and experiences to draw from, giving his lyrics the authentic grit of an outlaw turning his life around.

Bob—The Bassist

Bob is a retired automotive service manager with a love for all things music. He spent his career managing shops and service writing, limiting music to be a side hobby. Now that he has left the daily grind, he spends as much time in his home studio as possible. During high school, he attended many hard rock concerts. He loved music but didn’t quite have the drive to learn until a friend gave him a crash course on the bass. After borrowing it and practicing, he decided to keep at it after realizing he had an undeniable knack for it. Bob joined a cover band that eventually transitioned into creating and performing originals. He would write lyrics and bass lines for the band, and they would come together with their own parts to make it whole. He fell in love with the process of songwriting and recording, eventually building his own home studio to delve even further. He taught himself guitar and keys and brought in drummers to help him record his own tracks. About five years ago, Bob received a message from Wayne about putting a band together. Once they met and practiced together, they realized the fit was mutually perfect, and they formed the band. Bob is generous in assisting artists who want to record but don’t have enough funds to afford a big studio. He continues to record his own music alongside the band’s originals. He also manages the band’s communication, social media, booking, and recording performances for YouTube.

Nick- The Drummer

Nick was only 7 years old when he began playing drums. His dad was a professional trombonist, so he naturally took to that instrument as well. He focused on trombone primarily but later decided the drums had his heart. His Aunt Francis gave him different pieces of a drum set for each birthday, and he took lessons from a man named John Wacker from UNR. He was part of a couple bands in high school, Rottweiler and Freestyle, that played gigs at Elks lodges. He became a firefighter in Alaska before moving to Philly to attend Temple University for dental school. While attending university, he lived downtown and found the perfect ska/punk band to join. They toured and played parties, bars, and local gigs. After finishing dental school, he decided to become an oral surgeon and moved to Denver for schooling. There, he played in a band called Trashcan Fetus for a few years. He moved back to Idaho and opened his own practice in Caldwell. He played in Boise-based bands, Blind Fury and Tower 9, before joining The Wayne Byerly Band.

The band strives to play a live show every few months, planning and balancing performance with their lives outside of music. They have fun together and focus on delivery of Wayne’s originals over covers but aren’t opposed to throwing a couple fun ones into shows.

Be sure to follow The Wayne Byerly Band on their website, YouTube channel, and Facebook to stay up-to-date on their performance schedules! They’re also looking to add a lead guitarist to the mix, so if you’re out there reading this, reach out to Bob!

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EpicUnion is a seven-piece band focused on high-energy covers to get everyone up and moving on the dance floor. Their setlists are packed with memorable classics and popular new hits that keep crowds engaged. I caught up with each member at band practice and got to witness the epic union of personalities and talents that mesh so naturally.

Their manager, Dave Ficks, started EpicUnion with the intention of exciting crowds and making it a fun, performative show. They’ve played at places like Cactus Pete’s, The Heritage Social, and Westy’s, but have bigger sights in the coming years. They have a playful energy and take their camaraderie seriously. They keep each other supported through banter, encouragement, and lighthearted conversation. It is apparent how much each band member truly enjoys being a part of EpicUnion and the friendships that have formed from it. Their energy translates to the stage effortlessly, creating a fantastic dynamic of undeniable good vibes.

Dave Ficks: Band Manager and Drummer

Dave is the manager and founder of EpicUnion. He’s been in management throughout most of his career, so when he was inspired to start a band, leading it came quite naturally. He started playing drums at the age of 45 when his mother became ill, practicing while spending time with her. To recruit musicians, he put ads out on Craigslist. What resulted was the formation of his first band called Chronology. It was successful, with multiple members coming and going. Dave began EpicUnion as his vision evolved for what he wanted out of performances. After a period of gigging with both bands, and the eventual departure of some longtime Chronology members, he decided to shift gears and focus solely on EpicUnion. When I asked what advice he would give to anyone hoping to start a band, he said, “Define what success means for you.” Dave loves when the crowd is engaged and responding well to the music. He expresses so much love to his band members: “This group pulls out that energy and feedback.” He feels so grateful to have this group of people all collaborating and making play a priority.

Lori Power: Vocals

Lori Power started singing when she was 8 years old. She intuitively knew at her young age that it’s what she wanted to do for life. She got into dance and acting lessons during her adolescence and attended a musical arts college on a scholarship. When she graduated, she joined a cover band called Nightshift that toured Europe and Japan for a few years. Lori spent the next three years in Hawaii as the lead singer for The Blue Note Jazz Orchestra and a year singing and dancing for a dinner theater show in Tennessee. Shortly after, she became the lead production singer with Princess cruise lines and toured the world with them. After marrying and having children, her family settled in the Treasure Valley, where she opened Power Music & Dance Studio in Kuna. The studio has been wildly successful with over 500 students. She returned to the stage after joining EpicUnion two years ago, fulfilling her love of performing. She loves listening to everything and absorbing inspiration from all genres. Her presence is alluring and so fun to watch; she truly was made for performance.

Roger Leatham: Vocals

Roger has spent his whole life loving music and singing in particular. At age 13, he went to a Christian home and learned how to play “Jessie’s Girl” on the guitar through a few friends. He notes this because it ended up being his future wife’s favorite song-truly meant to be. After high school, Roger served 2 combat tours in the United States Marine Corps, earning several medals and ribbons during his service. When he returned home, he purchased an acoustic guitar and started playing and singing again. During this time of rediscovering his love for music, he heard his neighbor playing drums one day and decided to act. He wandered over and explained he wanted to start singing in a band setting. They ended up forming a band called Bucket List and played all over the valley. He’s also been a part of bands called DFZ and Classic Vinyl. He’s been with EpicUnion for about 8 months and feels at home with them. Roger is a huge family man; time spent with his family is his greatest joy next to performing music.

Sean Crawford: Keys/Synth

Sean grew up in Nampa, Idaho. His dad was a guitar player and taught him basic chords on piano. He took piano lessons for 8 years and became classically trained in his adolescence. In early adulthood, Sean became a DJ at a local skating rink and eventually formed his own wedding and event DJ business. He found EpicUnion on Craigslist and joined about 4 or 5 years ago after feeling it was the right move for him musically. Sean finds inspiration through all kinds of music, but Billy Joel and Bon Jovi are two of his favorites. He stays versatile with his taste in music, which helps immensely in the approach of the band’s range of genres. His greatest piece of advice for anyone pursuing music is finding the joy in it all. “When it stops being fun is when it becomes work.” He loves being able to crack jokes with the band and keep it lighthearted.

Miguel Socias: Guitar

Miguel began his musical journey in 7th grade playing trumpet. He played bass in his high school band and eventually worked with a Grammy-winning producer in 2010, recording at El Paso’s Sonic Ranch, Steakhouse Records, and Studio B in Nashville. He came to Idaho to sell real estate but ended up doing 80 shows with local bands during his first year in Boise. Miguel is a busy bee, subbing in at Humpin Hannah’s, playing bass in various bands in Boise, serving part-time, and selling real estate. He is a bass player by trade but plays lead guitar for EpicUnion, allowing him to expand his talents and tackle different complexities. Practice is a huge part of his process, and he takes it very seriously. Miguel appreciates the amount of grace that EpicUnion provides everyone. Playing guitar is not his first musical language, so it’s been a good setting to explore this avenue of play. His advice to anyone looking to get into music is just “go to shows and say ‘hi’ to people.” And of course, “practice your ass off.” He enjoys connecting with other musicians, it has led him to many different opportunities in the valley.

Kevin Sorrells: Guitar

Kevin’s mother, Rosalie Sorrels, was an international folk legend from Idaho. She gave him his first guitar when he was 7 years old. He approached her guitar player, Mitch Greenhill, to teach him. He taught him just one chord, E, and finger placement. Young Kevin started expanding off of that and practicing his newfound love, returning later to Mitch to play him the ‘E’ song. His first band was the Black Jackitz in high school, and he played in various bands in New York through the early 80s. He’s played in disco bands, metal bands, dance bands, and blues bands (notably jamming with BB King) and has met or worked with several prominent musicians. Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page are huge influences on his play. Kevin moved to Idaho in 1985 and got into a serious motorcycle accident in 1987 that required a reconstruction of his left hand. He couldn’t play guitar for about 7 years. During this period of time, he transitioned into the painting industry, doing commercial projects and taking a break from music. Kevin’s mother passed away in 2017, but before she passed, he made a pact with her that he would start playing guitar again. He joined Sista Sarah & Pocket of Bones, got involved with the blues society, and put together a music festival in honor of his mother in 2019—The Rosalie Sorrels Music Festival. Kevin first auditioned for the EpicUnion band in 2023 but didn’t officially join until 2025. His advice to band members: “Do your homework, no drama, and keep personal stuff out of it; work within the community and get involved, and always be on time for rehearsals.”

Matthew Galardi: Bass

Matthew always wanted to learn how to play guitar in childhood. He was inspired by all genres of music. He was about 20 years old when he picked up the guitar for the first time. After spending his life in the Bay Area, he felt the need to pursue another place to settle and ended up in Idaho to be near family in 2016. He joined Dave’s band, Chronology, soon after as a guitar player. When their bassist left, he volunteered to switch instruments to keep the band momentum going. He took to playing bass naturally and feels like he’s found his niche with it.

Since coming to Idaho, he has also played with various bands like “Alternate Wednesdays,” “Cabeza,” “X Degenerates,” “Lauren and The Nostalgics,” “Highway45,” “The Mike Johnston Band,” and “WickID Garden.” Alongside his presence in Epic Union, he currently plays with “Limited Edition” and the country band “ShotGlass.”

He loves EpicUnion for the camaraderie; he would go get a beer just to hang out with any one of them. “It feels like a sense of family.” He feels valued within the band and praises Dave for his management of the group. His advice for musicians: “Know that you’re going to make mistakes. Just go with the flow of making errors and recovering from them.”

Be sure to follow EpicUnion on their website, Instagram, and Facebook to stay up-to-date on their performance schedules!

Subscribe to Treasure Valley Notes to stay up-to-date on our local musicians and where they’ll be!

Interested in being featured in a “Deep Dive”? Contact us HERE!